No. 16 Gophers Go to Penn State for First Road Meet

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 16 University of Minnesota women's gymnastics team (6-0, 2-0 B1G) is heading on the road for their first true away meet of the season at Penn State (5-1, 1-1 B1G). The meet will take place at Rec Hall (University Park, Pa.) at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 3. B1G+ will provide streaming coverage while fans can follow along with stats at Gophersports.com.

MEET INFORMATION
Saturday, Feb. 3
2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Rec Hall
University Park, Pa.
TV/Stream: B1G+
Stats: Gophersports.com

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

The No. 16 Minnesota women's gymnastics team will hit the road for the first time in Big Ten competition. The Gophers travel for a meet at Penn State (5-1, 1-1 B1G) on Saturday, Feb. 3. The meet is set to start at 1 p.m. CT and B1G+ will stream.
The Gophers roster 19 student-athletes in the 2024 season, led by three-time All-American and 2023 Big Ten Champion Mya Hooten and First Team All-Big Ten selection Gianna Gerdes. The Gophers added eight newcomers to the fray this season, including seven freshmen and a transfer from Pittsburgh University.
Notable departures from 2023 include two-time All-American and three-time Second Team All-Big Ten selection Maddie Quarles. Two-time All-Big Ten honoree Halle Remlinger also departed after earning second team honors last season as a senior.
13 of Minnesota's 19 rostered players have competed in at least one top six of an event so far this season.
A senior from Woodbury, Minn., Hooten was a 2022 NCAA All-American in floor (first team, 9.500) and vault (second team, 9.9000) and 2023 WCGA Regular Season All-American in floor (first team) and vault (second team). She earned her first NCAA All-America honors in 2021 in floor (first team, 9.950) and vault (second team, 9.8750). Hooten posted a perfect 10, the seventh of her career, on the floor on Jan. 13 against Eastern Michigan.
Minnesota earned its road-opening season-best score in program history when it tallied a 196.850 on Jan. 6 at the Mean Girls Super 16 in Las Vegas, Nev. It tied that score in a meet against Iowa on Jan. 22 at the Pav.

SCOUTING PENN STATE

Penn St. (5-1, 1-1 B1G) is led by seventh-year head coach Sarah Brown. PSU ranks 12th in beam, 23rd in vault, 38 on bars and 45th in floor. Ava Piedrahita (9.900 high) ranks 24th nationally on vault while Isabella Salcedo (9.950 high) ranks 29th on beam.
The Nittany Lions were projected to finish eighth in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Poll. Junior Isabella Salcedo and freshman Kalea McElligott were named Penn State's gymnasts to watch for 2024. Salcedo tallied a season-best 9.950 on beam at Auburn.
So far in 2024, PSU went 3-0 at the Keystone Classic before defeating Iowa State. In B1G play, the Nittany Lions lost to Michigan State and defeated Rutgers.

LAST SEASON

The 'U' is coming off a 2023 season that saw it post a 10-6-1 (4-4-1 Big Ten) meet record, finishing fifth in the regular season standings. The Gophers went on to finish third at the Big Ten Championships (197.250) and fifth at the NCAA Regionals (197.200). They will be looking to qualify for nationals for the third time in the last four seasons in 2024.

GOPHERS HISTORY VS. PENN STATE; STATS TO KNOW

Against Penn St., Minnesota is 12-11 all-time. The Gophers have bested the Nittany Lions six straight times, dating back to 2018.
Under coach Hansen, the 'U' is 7-2 against Penn State. Minnesota is just 1-5 all-time against PSU at Rec Hall, however, but emerged victoriously in their last meet in 2019.
The Gophers are 3-0 at home this season and 3-0 at neutral sites. This will be their first true away meet.

COACHING STAFF

Head coach Jenny Hansen is in her 10th season at the helm of the program. Associate head coach Rich Stenger and assistant coach Geralen Stack-Eaton also enter their 10th years with the team. Fellow assistant Kiki Parenteau was promoted to assistant coach this summer after serving as a volunteer assistant for the past two years. She will be entering year three in 2024.
During her time with the Golden Gophers, Hansen is 114-39-1 in meets.
Also under her watch, Gophers took home the 2021 Big Ten title, their first conference crown since 2006 and the program's sixth ever. Minnesota won the program's third ever Big Ten regular season championship after posting a 14-1 (9-0 B1G) record in 2016.
In 2022, Minnesota set a program-record by finishing sixth (197.1125) at the NCAA Championships.

WEEK FOUR STANDOUTS; LAST TIME OUT

Minnesota moved to 6-0 (2-0 B1G) with a 196.725-195.625 win over No. 21 Maryland on Saturday. The Gophers scored 49.275 on vault (season-high), 49.150 on bars, 49.125 on beam and 49.175 on floor. They defeated Maryland in each of the four events.
Gophers senior Mya Hooten shined once again, taking home an event title on vault with her second consecutive 9.950. She didn't compete in floor for the first time this season but is set to come back to the event on Saturday at Penn St.
Fellow senior Ella Sirjord took home her first career event title after earning a 9.875 on beam. Gianna Gerdes earned the uneven bars title with a career-best 9.925 score while Emily Koch won on floor with a 9.875.
Freshman Jordyn Lyden posted her third consecutive 9.850 on bars.

WCGA AND ROAD TO NATIONALS RANKINGS

Entering week five, the Golden Gophers moved to No. 16 in the Road to Nationals rankings. The 'U' ranks 16th in the country in floor and beam, 19th in bars and 20th in vault.
Individually, Minnesota's Gianna Gerdes ranks 22nd in the nation in all-around. Mya Hooten ranks 3rd in floor and 13th in vault while Brooklyn Rowray ranks No. 1 in the country on balance beam after posting a 9.975 on Jan. 6.
Minnesota began the 2024 season ranked No. 18 in the WCGA Preseason poll. The 'U' is coming off a 2023 season that saw it post a 10-6-1 (4-4-1 Big Ten) meet record, finishing fifth in the regular season standings. The Gophers went on to finish third at the Big Ten Championships (197.250) and fifth at the NCAA Regionals (197.200). They will be looking to qualify for nationals for the third time in the last four seasons in 2024.
The Gophers ended 2023 ranked No. 18 in the nation, including a No. 12 rank in floor, 14th in vault, 19th in bars and 40th on beam

B1G WEEKLY AWARDS

Mya Hooten was named Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week again on Jan. 30 after posting two consecutive 9.950s on vault against Iowa (Jan. 22) and Maryland (Jan. 27). She also took home the award on Jan. 16 after her perfect 10 on floor against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 13. She holds eight career Big Ten Event Specialist of the Week awards.
Jordyn Lyden was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Jan. 9, 2024. She posted a 9.825 score on bars in her first collegiate meet. She was the first Gopher to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Seria Johnson on Jan. 16, 2023.

UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts No. 10 Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 10 for Alumni Day. It begins at 4 p.m. CT and B1G+ will stream.

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Players Mentioned

Gianna Gerdes

Mya Hooten

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Seria Johnson

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Ella Sirjord

No. 16 Gophers Go to Penn State for First Road Meet

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